The sun had barely crested the horizon when I found myself standing on the training grounds again, dew soaking into my worn boots. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, and my arms felt like they weighed twice as much as they should. Yesterday's sword drills had left me bruised, battered, and barely able to lift my limbs. And yet—I was here.
Because today, I would finally learn to control mana.
A cold breeze swept through the clearing, bending the tall grass in a gentle dance. I took a breath and let the wind wash over me, calming my nerves. My heart beat faster than I expected. This was more than just training—this was stepping into something bigger, something ancient.
"Alright, brat."
Ryoji's voice cracked through the morning stillness like a whip. I turned to find him trudging over the field, wooden staff across his shoulders, a half-smile on his weathered face. His eyes were sharp—too sharp for someone who looked like he hadn't slept.
"You're finally going to stop flailing that sword around like a drunk chicken," he said, "and start learning what actually makes a warrior in this world."
Kaito stood next to me, yawning so wide he nearly fell over. "Why does training always have to be at dawn?"
Ryoji didn't even blink. "Because you're weak."
Kaito frowned. "Well that's not very—"
"And weak people don't get to sleep in."
I said nothing. I couldn't argue. Ryoji wasn't just a drill sergeant with a bad attitude—he was one of the few people in this time-warped nightmare who had real answers. And I needed those answers more than ever.
---
The Fundamentals of Mana
Ryoji stopped in front of a large, smooth stone lodged in the field.
"Mana is the living essence of this world," he said. "You breathe it, walk through it, drink it without even knowing. But only warriors and mages can wield it."
He tapped the rock. "Everyone has a mana core. It lies dormant until properly awakened. And when it awakens, it aligns to a specific affinity."
He paced slowly, gesturing with the staff. "Fire is aggressive and destructive. Lightning is chaotic and wild. Wind is flexible, free-spirited. Water is calm, patient, but relentless. These four are the basics. There are rarer affinities—but you're not ready to hear about those."
Kaito's eyes sparked with excitement. "My mana type is lightning, right? Does that mean I'll be able to summon storms someday?"
Ryoji scoffed. "Storms? You can't even summon a spark without frying yourself."
"Hey!" Kaito marched toward the nearby pond, rolling up his sleeves. "Watch this."
He raised his hand with exaggerated flair. Sparks crackled to life around his fingertips. With a focused grunt, he shot a thin bolt into the pond.
A moment of silence.
Then, three small fish floated to the surface, stunned.
I stared. "…Impressive. If we're attacked by an army of trout, you're our guy."
Kaito grinned, scooping up a fish. "Fishing with style."
Ryoji just muttered under his breath. "I'm going to regret taking you two in."
---
Feeling the Flow
Ryoji's tone shifted. "Now listen. Magic isn't about showboating—it's about connection. Hiroshi, close your eyes. Breathe slow. I want you to feel it. Don't force anything."
I obeyed.
The world faded around me—trees, wind, Kaito's humming—it all bled away.
And then…
A shift.
Like a pressure in the air, subtle but unmistakable. Thin threads floated in my mind's eye—glimmering, invisible currents twisting through space.
My skin tingled. My breathing slowed. The sensation wasn't natural—it was alive.
Mana.
It drifted around me like strands of wind searching for something—like it was watching.
"Good," Ryoji's voice broke the trance. "That's mana. It doesn't obey strength. It obeys will."
I opened my eyes slowly. "I… I felt it. Not just around me—inside me."
Ryoji's gaze narrowed for a heartbeat, as if assessing something he didn't expect. "…Draw it in. Carefully."
---
The First Pull
I focused again, visualizing the threads. I gently reached for them with my will—not hands, but intent. The strands curled toward me, brushing my limbs like feathers.
Then I tugged.
Mana surged into my body.
My chest locked. Pressure built in my ribs. Fire shot down my spine.
"GAH!" I gasped, stumbling backward as the force slammed into me. I dropped to one knee, vision swimming.
Kaito burst out laughing. "Wow. Real graceful, Hiro."
I coughed. "Shut up."
Ryoji didn't flinch. "You tried to drink the whole river. Mana flows best in droplets. Again."
The second time, I went slower.
This time, the mana seeped in gently, spiraling through my limbs like breeze curling around a mountaintop. It didn't burn—it harmonized.
It felt… right.
I opened my eyes and grinned. "I think I'm getting it."
Kaito's competitive side kicked in. "If you can do it, I can too."
He closed his eyes. Sparks leapt from his arms, but they didn't stabilize. They jittered violently, pulsing with erratic rhythm.
"Kaito," Ryoji's voice dropped. "Stop. You're losing control."
Kaito didn't hear him—or didn't care.
A massive pulse of lightning burst from his hand.
CRACK.
The bolt struck a nearby tree.
BOOM.
Flames erupted instantly, engulfing the trunk. Smoke billowed upward into the morning sky, and birds screeched as they fled the canopy.
The three of us stood frozen.
"…Oops," Kaito whispered.
I shook my head. "We're so screwed."
Ryoji rubbed his temples like he had a migraine from hell. "You want to destroy the forest? Fine. Just make sure you burn your own legs next time so I won't have to train you anymore."
---
Aftermath & Foreshadowing
He walked toward the burning tree, lifted his hand, and in one fluid motion, sliced a horizontal line through the air with his staff.
Wind screamed outward in a sharp crescent.
FWOOOOOSH.
The flames died instantly, smothered by the sheer force of air pressure. Not even embers remained. Just blackened bark.
Kaito blinked. "Whoa…"
Ryoji turned slowly. "This is control."
The air around him still hummed. His aura crackled faintly with wind mana, barely contained.
I stared at him, realization dawning.
We weren't just learning tricks.
We were touching the same force that shaped storms, split mountains, and burned kingdoms to ash.
And we had no idea what we were doing.